My First Temple Recommend



46 years ago, my family went to the Tokyo mission home to get our temple recommends.  I was almost 13 years olf and it was going to be my first one.  The cherry blossoms were in bloom and I got the family to pose for a picture. 

I was quite the photographer even then using my little Brownie Hawkeye camera and even knew how to develop my own pictures as Mr. Bill had taught me how.

Cherry blossoms in bloom.  Unfortunately, my camera only took black and white pictures back then.

We went to visit a Japanese garden park across from the mission home.  Left to right - Nancy, Jimmy and Susan.

Jimmy was trying to catch some of the fish in the pond.

The mission home.  During World War II it was a home which had a bomb dropped all the way through it.

My first temple recommend signed by the branch president and the mission president.  How times have changed since we would not ordinarily have the mission president sign it now.

Brothers and Sisters Day Is Today

Today is Brothers and Sisters Day which is a day set aside to cherish your siblings. Sure, there's times when you love your brothers and sisters. And, there's times when you want to disown them. All in all, having a brother and two sisters is invaluable. The older you get, the more you learn to appreciate them. Sometimes if you're lucky they actually become your friend.

In case anyone doesn't know, I'm the oldest, Susan is the middle and Nancy is the youngest daughter. Then Jimmy came along seven years after I was born.

These are some pictures showing me and my siblings...

Susan and I. This picture looks like it was taken on the porch of Grandmother and Granddaddy McGhee's home in Brookfield, Georgia. I don't look too happy about Susan leaning on my head. This picture was taken at the Grand Canyon/Petrified Forest when our family was on our way to Japan. (I think we were standing in front of some petroglyphs). The sun must have been bright since all of us kids seem to be squinting. (Nancy, Susan, Me and Jimmy in the front). This picture was taken when we had returned from Japan after living there for over four years. We were staying at my Grandmother Cattell's home in Missouri and this is a reunion of lots of my cousins on my dad's side. That's Susan on the left with the glasses and it looks like she's either yawning or yelling. Nancy is in the middle with her head behind and in front of a couple of cousins. Jimmy is on the front row second to right with the weird look on his face and I am the adorable one on the back row holding one of the cousins. Christmas 1970? in Valdosta, Georgia. Don't you love the way the flash reflects off all our glasses? Notice the fire in the fireplace. I can't remember if this picture was taken before or after Dad had returned from Vietnam. (I made all the dresses the females are wearing. I used to sew all of my dresses). Something special must have happened since Susan and I are wearing corsages. Maybe we assisted at someone's wedding? This picture was taken at Grandmother and Granddaddy McGhee's home and the picture behind my head is of my Great Grandmother and Grandaddy who was Grandmother's parents.I have no idea about this picture other than it was taken while Dad was in Vietnam. We never owned a boat and I don't recognize the lake/pond. Jimmy is apparently the oarsman and that's Nancy with me and our dog named Betsy. This was taken while living in New Jersey after Dad came back from Vietnam and was transferred to McGuire, AFB. Susan and I were going to a dance and my date was Kevin McDonald who was a military policeman at the base. He was one of the people in my late teens who wanted to get married and I just wasn't ready to do so. When we moved from New Jersey our relationship basically ended since he moved to Kentucky and I wanted to remain single. Jimmy and I dressed for some party around Christmas. I know this picture was taken after Susan was married since I'm wearing the bridesmaid dress I made for her wedding. Donald/Nancy, Dale/Susan, me and Rudy LaMonoco, my date. The girls married their guys, but I didn't. Rudy attending college with Nancy and Donald and they set me on a blind date with him. We dated for quite awhile and I don't remember why we eventually quit dating. He was a really great guy. I think this picture was taken shortly before Susan married since she and Mom are wearing corsages.Well, I think we've all improved with age. Nothing more to say about is picture.Hopefully in celebration of this day, my sisters and brother have enjoyed this small pictorial journey. I'm thankful we are all still alive and still able to talk to each other whenever we want to. As of this date, I live here in Casper, Wyoming. Susan lives in Titusville, Florida. Nancy and Jimmy live in Tifton, Georgia.

What's The Future Hold For Us?

Well, this weekend has been spent primarily checking on possible new jobs. When I go to work this coming week, I'll be lucky to be there another three weeks. I hope I can at least be able to stay around until October 3rd. Joe and I will go to Utah the next week and then life will definitely change for us once we return to Georgia. It'll be my second job loss in one year. Lucky me, huh?

I've spent the weekend submitting my resume to various employers in Wyoming, including the State of Wyoming, to see if I get any nibbles for a potential job. Since we're going out west, maybe someone will be interested in speaking with me about employment. You ask why Wyoming? We say why not? It would be close enough to the kids (about 3 hours drive) to visit regularly. Do we know anyone in Wyoming? No. Have we been there? Yes. Look at it this way - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

In the meantime, I'm still proceeding with looking for employment around the Tifton area. Unfortunately it took 5 months to find the last job and the job market is worse now. But, I know that my Heavenly Father has plans for me and Joe and all I can do is do my part with the job process. So, I'm also submitting my resume around this area.

I just know that I am in the stage of my life when most people are getting ready to retire and that's not even an option for me. Retirement will be a foreign word for me. When I was 49, I had been married for 23 years, had a retirement account with a husband and life seemed to be going in the right direction. Then there was the divorce and life changed - no husband, no money and having to start all over again. I started all over again the second time with a new job, with my own retirement account, which I keep for six years until the grant ends and I, at age 52, get a fantastic new husband who had recently had his own 23 year marriage ended by his wife (she got all the money).

So here I am at age 56, losing my second job in a year, retirement account still in tact for the moment and starting all over again for the third time. You know what they say about "third times"? It's a charm. I hope so!!!

So, will we stay in Georgia? I hope so, but something's gotta happen soon. I love the network of people and family we have here and though we would love to be out West with the kids, I'd rather stick around here, if possible.

Four Generation - Cattell Side

This is a four-generation shot taken in December of 1983 when Corey was turning one year old. My grandmother, Louise Cattell Mix, had come to visit and this was the last time I ever saw her alive. She died one year later on December 22, 1984.

I really didn't know this grandmother very well as I never spent much time with her. I can remember going to her home in Missouri before and after we moved to Japan, she made a visit to our home at Eglin AFB, Florida and this visit to Brookfield, Georgia. I'm sure there were more times that I saw her as some of my baby pictures will attest, but my memories are only those I stated.

That's my Grandmother Cattell (Mix) on the left, Dad, Me and Corey being held by his granddaddy.